Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-03-04

in their sockets and expire The sun, like a
spark struck from an anvil, will flash and go
out The winds will utter their last whisper,
and ocean heave its last groan; but you and
will live foreverl Gigantic-imniortal
Mighty to suffer or enjoy. Mighty toloye OF
hate. Mighty to soar OF to sink. Then, what
will be to us the store, the shop the office. the
applause of the world the scorn of our enc
mics, the things that lifted us up, and the
things that pressed us down? What to John
Wesley are all the mobs that howled after
hims What to Voltaire are all the ma
lions that applauded hima What to Paul
now, the dungeons that chilled him? What to
Latimer now, the flames that consumed hima
All those who through the grace of Christ
reach that land, will never be disturbed.
None to dispute their throne, they shall reign
for ever and ever. But, alas, for those who
have made no preparation for the future!
When the sharp, shod hoofs of eternal disaster
come UP painting and swift to go over them,
how will they contend with horses? And
when the waves of their wretchedness rise
up, white and foamy, under the swooping of
eternal storms, and the pillows become more
wrathful and dash more high, oh, what will
they do ''amid the swelling of Jordan?"
If could come into your heart this mo-
ment, would see that many of you, my dear
fa;ends, had vowed to be the Lords 1 know
not what sickness it was or what trial; but
verify believe there is not man in the
house but has some time vowed he would be
the Lords. 1t might have been at the time
when your child lay sick, you said: 20 Lord,
if thou wilt let this child get well I will be
Christian" Or it might have been in some
business trouble, when you have said: 20
Lord, if thou wilt let me keep my property,
will be a Christian" You kept your prop
erty, your child got well, the peril passed.
Are you a Christians History says that
long ago it had been announced that the
world was coming to an end, and there was
great excitement in London. Itwas said that
the world would perish on a certain Friday. On
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
the people were in the cathedral, praying and
weeping It seemed as if the whole English
nation was being converted to God, for it was
announced as certain by philosophers that on
that coming Friday the world would perish.
Friday came and there were no portents, no
fires in the air, no earthquakes. The day
passed along just like every other day, and
when it was passed and the night came, it is
said that in London there was scene
of riot, and wassail, and drunken
ness, and debauchery such as had
never been witnessed. They forgot their
vow, they forgot their repentance, they for
got their good resolutions o how much
human nature in thatl While trials and mis-
fortunes come to us, and we are down deep
in darkness and trouble we make VOWS. We
say: so Lord, do so, and I will do 500 The
darkness passes, the peril goes away. We
al
often l have seen men start for the king
dom of God, come up within arms
reach of it, and then go back farther
from God than they ever were before,
dropping from the very moment of
their privilege into darkness foreverl Oh
how ungrateful we have beenl Do you know
how much God has done for you and for me?
Have you never felt it? How much He did
for you to-day! Who spread the table for
you? Who watched you last night? Who
has been kind and good to you all your life
long? Oh how ungrateful we have been!
Methinks the goodness q God ought to lead
this whole audience to repentance. I know
not your individual history. Some of you I
never saw before, some of you I will never
see again; but I know that God has been good
to you. What return have you made? There
was steamer on one of the western lakes
heavily laden with passengers, and there
was a little child who stood on the
side of the taffrail, leaning over and watching
the water, when she lost her balance and
dropped into the waves. The lake was very
rough. The mother cried: @Save my child!
Save my child" There seemed none disposen
to leap into the water There was New
foundland dog on deck. He looked up in his
masters face, as if for orders. His master
said: "Tray, overheard, catch 'em!" The
dog sprang into the water, caught the child
by the garments, and swan back to
the steamer. The child was picked
up by loving hands, the dog was lifted on
deck and the mother, ere she tainted away, in
utter thanksgiving to that dog, threw her
arms around its neck and kissed it; but the
dog shook himself off from her embrace and
went and laid down as though he had accom-
plished nothing. Shall mother be grateful
to dog that saves her child and be ungrate-
full to the Son of God who, from the heights
of heaven, plunged into the depths of dark
ness, and suffering, and woe, that He
might lift us up out of our sin and
place us on the rock of ages? Oh, the
height, the depth, the length, the infnity, the
horror of our ingratitude! DON'T you treat
Jesus like that any more. Don't you thrust
Him back from your soul. He has been the
best friend you ever had You will want
Him after awhile. When the world is going
away from your grasp and all the lights that
shine on your soul are going out, and the
friends that stand around you can do you no
good, and you feel your feet slipping from
beneath you-oh, then you will want Him
the loving Jesus, the sympathetic Jesus, the
the pardoning Jesus-to stand close by you
and hold you up "anid the swelling Of Jor-
danl"